After its Facebook account was suspended, the renowned American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson expressed gratitude to Elon Musk and X (formerly Twitter) for championing free speech amid what the company described as ongoing assaults on the First and Second Amendments.
A representative for Facebook’s parent company, Meta, Andy Stone, admitted to Fox News Digital that the suspension occurred “in error” and confirmed that the account has since been reinstated.
However, Smith & Wesson did not hold back in its critique of Meta. In a post shared Friday on X, the company praised Musk for his commitment to protecting free expression and condemned Facebook for targeting their account after flagging several posts related to the sale of firearms.
Established in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, and now headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, Smith & Wesson remains one of the most iconic gun brands in America. The company, which reported $535.8 million in sales for the 2024 fiscal year, has long been a symbol of American craftsmanship and Second Amendment rights.
The company said its suspension was unjust, especially given the extensive effort and resources it has invested to comply with Facebook’s “ever-changing community guidelines on firearms.” In their statement, Smith & Wesson explained that their account, active for 15 years, was suspended indefinitely on November 22, 2024.
Accompanying their statement, the manufacturer shared a screenshot of the suspension notice from Facebook. The notice highlighted posts from November 22, November 13, and July 18, alleging they violated Meta’s rules on promoting weapons.
Smith & Wesson’s ordeal serves as a pointed reminder of the growing tension between big tech platforms and companies that align with traditional American values. The manufacturer’s statement and the broader debate over these suspensions underscore the critical need to safeguard free speech and uphold constitutional freedoms in today’s digital age.
